Beef tamale pie with a cornmeal crust

Whisk the cornmeal with all the cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then add 3 g salt and all the lard. Cover and cook over very low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until tender and thick. Keep warm and spreadable.

Trim and wash the celery. Peel the onion and garlic. Wash and deseed the bell pepper. Meanwhile, finely dice celery, onion, garlic and bell pepper. Brown the sausage meat in a large sauté pan for about 5 minutes, breaking it up, then set aside. Stir the chili blend and cumin in its fat for 30 seconds, add the vegetables and remaining 3 g salt, and cook for about 8 minutes. Add the beef and break it up for about 6 minutes until no raw colour remains.

Crush the tomatoes and add with all their juice. Return the sausage with its juices and add the still-frozen corn. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes to make a moist filling without a large pool of liquid. Drain the olives, weigh the stated amount and chop them. Grate the Cheddar.

Divide all the cooked cornmeal into 3 equal portions in bowls. Oil a deep baking dish of about 3500 ml. Spread 2 portions over the base and sides, add all the filling and olives, then spread the remaining cornmeal portion on top. Cover with all the Cheddar and place the dish on a tray to catch any spills.

Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 190 °C for about 60 minutes until bubbling at the edges, browned on top and at least 75 °C for 30 seconds at the centre. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Adjust dish sizes to keep a similar filling depth.